Deacon Larry Jesmer

A group of clergy in a small U.S. town decided to put up a Christmas crib in the town square. They approached various individuals for a donation. On the priest’s list was the editor of the local weekly who favored the idea until the priest remarked, “Many people especially the children will be inspired to see Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the animals right here in the center of town.”

The editor snapped, “Mary must be left out. That would be promoting your denomination.” The priest countered, “Tell you what. You tell me how we can show a birth without a mother and I’ll agree to leave Mary out.” The mother was with her child in the town square. …

Solemnity Of Mary – The Holy Mother Of GodRead More »

As the journey of Advent continues, as we prepare to celebrate the Nativity of Jesus, John the Baptist’s call to conversion sounds out and resonates throughout our faith community and hopefully the community at large. It is an urgent invitation to open our hearts and minds to welcome the Son of God who comes among us to show us, in the fullness of truth, how to attain eternal life with him.

The Father, as described in the gospel of Matthew does not judge anyone, but has entrusted the power of judgement to the Son, because he is the Son of Man. And it is today, in the present, that we decide our eternal destiny. It is with our everyday concrete behavior in this life that will determine our eternal fate.

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2nd Sunday of AdventRead More »

1st Reading: 2 Maccabees7”1-2, 9-14
2nd Reading: 2 Thessalonians 2:16-3:5
Gospel: Luke 20: 27-38

There is so much going on in these readings it was really hard in determining what to talk about. It looks on the face that what is being said is; “How to live our lives here and now even in the midst of suffering and what that suffering will bring us.” In a way, this could be the point.

We have all gone through suffering of sorts; physical as well as emotional whether it was a serious illness or disease or even the loss of a loved one. Last Tuesday we celebrated All Saints Day. We remembered the Saints, especially the way they lived their lives here on earth. What is so special about them is that the life lived on earth was a live lived in hope of what is promised to all of us, eternal life in heaven. What was so special in these saints was the total let going and the giving over of their lives to Christ despite the hardships endured during their journeys. …

32nd Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »

1ST READING: Rev 7:2-4. 9-14
2nd READING: 1 John 3: 1-3
GOSPEL: Matthew 5:1-12a

On one of his visits to Rome, St. Francis de Sales hired rooms for himself and his servant in a small hotel on the banks of the Tiber River. When he returned to his hotel to sleep he found his servant arguing violently with the hotel manager who wanted to rent the rooms to someone else. St. Francis told his servant: “No quarreling. Come, we will find quarters elsewhere.”

With some difficulty they finally found rooms, just in time to get out of the rains which fell so heavily that the Tiber River overflowed its banks and swept away several buildings, among them the hotel where our saint and his servant had planned on staying. Several of the guests perished in the waters. …

Feast of All SaintsRead More »

I love my father and my mother. In fact, I love my wife, my brothers and sisters and all my relatives. So why is Jesus saying, “If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple”?

I was so disturbed by this reading that I had to call my mother to tell her, I love her. This is a human response to the words of Jesus, however, the meaning is not what we think! Jesus would never expect us to hate anyone for Jesus was sent to us out of love.

I believe that in Jesus’ time hate meant to like something less than something else. In Matthew’s gospel Jesus says, “He who loves father and mother more than me is not worthy of me!” Jesus, in today’s scripture passage is saying that putting anything before him is wrong, even ourselves. …

23rd Sunday of Ordinary TimeRead More »